Dispensing device and counter in combination therewith



Jan.

12, 1965 F. MADAFFER 3,165,235 DISPENSING DEVICE AND COUNTER IN COMBINATION THEREWITH Filed Nov. 20, 1962 I as o i,

"Q 3 F/a/ so a i :1 i I INVENTOR.

FRANK MADAFFER United States Patent M 3,165,235 DISPENSING DEVICE AND COUNTER IN COMBINATION THEREWITH Frank Madairer, 1004 Cherry St., Erie, Pa. Filed Nov. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 238,915 3 Claims. (Cl. 22238) This invention relates to dispensing devices and, more particularly, to dispensing devices for beverages.

This invention comprises an improvement over patent application, Serial No. 787,530, filed January 19, 1959, which issued as Patent No. 3,064,860 on November 20, 1962.

The present invention provides a means for attaching a dispenser to a bottle so that it cannot be removed unless the bottle is broken, thereby preventing anyone from pouring a drink from the bottle by removing the dispenser. It also provides a means for counting each drink that is poured from the bottle.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing device which will prevent anyone from pouring drinks from a bottle unless said drinks are counted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing device which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and elficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional side view of a dispensing device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a baflle used in the spout.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the device is made up of a hollow body 10. The hollow body is in the form of a ring made of thin, flat, metallic material; preferably, stainless steel. The body 10 has an inlet cap 11 which may be internally threaded to fit on the top of a bottle and it is fixed to one side of the body and has an opening therethrough from the inside of the cap to the inside of the body.

The cap 11 has a threaded rod 25 swingably supported thereto by means of a transverse pin 29 which extends through the cap 11 and through the rod 25. The threaded rod 25 has a nut 28 on its lower end. The nut 28' has lateral notches 27* which receive swinging arms 26 which are in the form of U-shaped members attached to the distal end. These arms can swing about a pivot up to a position generally parallel with the rod 25 so that it can be inserted into a bottle and the arms swung outwardly. The arms 26 cannot swing to a position perpendicular to the rod 25 so that they will engage the inside of the neck of the bottle. In this position, they engage the bottom of the notch as a stop to limit further downward swinging.

A longitudinal slot 40 in the threaded rod 25 receives a key 27. The key 27 will ride through the slot 40 and allow the rod 25 to rotate in one direction only. The key 27 is received in the threaded nut 28' which supports the arms 26. The key'is supported in the slot 40 by 3,165,235 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 means of an 0-ring 28. Therefore, the nut can be rotated in one direction which will slide the device over a tapered side 41 of the slot 40 but when it engages a shoulder 42 at the other side, the device cannot be rotated in the opposite direction. Therefore, the cap can be put on a bottle and tightened thereon but it cannot be removed.

A spout 12 is supported in an opening in the cap 11 approximately one hundred fifty degrees from the cap. The spout 12 has a counterbore therein which receives a baffie 15. The bathe 15 has the struck-out winged bushings shown which extend outwardly toward the outer portion of the spout 12. The spout may be held in position by means of a suitable fastener 30 which engages the inside of the body 10 and, also, engages a portion of the spout.

An inlet cap 13 is fixed to one end of a leaf spring 16 and an outlet cap or spout cap 14 is fixed to the other end of the leaf spring 16 by eyelet headed rivets. Suitable sealing washers are supported on the caps. The leaf spring 16 may be of a flat piece of material such as stainless steel and it may be fixed to the body 10 by means of a suitable rivet 31 or the like.

A disk 32 is pivotally supported on a bracket 33 at 34. The cap 13 is connected to the disk 32 by means of a rod 18 which is received in a large hole 18 and extends through the hole, then past it in the same direction. Therefore, the rod 18 has a slight lost motion in the hole. A rod 17 is connected to the outlet cap 14, it is received in an enlarged hole 35, and it slides therein.

A return spring 19 is connected to the disk 32 and to the inside of the body It) as shown. Spring 19 pulls the disk to the neutral position.

An actuating member 20 extends through a seal 23 in a partition 24 and is connected to the disk 32 as shown by a lug 32'. The handle 30' on the actuating member 20 is U-shaped as shown and connected to an actuating member 36 on a counter 21 so that each time the handle 30' is depressed, the counter will record another number in an opening 37. A disk like side will be fastened and sealed to each side of the body 10 to form a liquid tight enclosure.

A pendulum member 22 in the form of a cam lock isv pivoted at 38 to the body 10 and it will swing down and engage the partition 24 to lock the actuating member 20 against movement when the bottle is in an upright position so that the counter 21 cannot be operated when the bottle is upright.

Therefore, to pour a drink, the operator will move the bottle to the pouring position. Since the cap 13 is open, it will allow the body 10 to fill the space inside the partition 24 and the inside of the circular body. This inside volume will be exactly equal to the usual size of alcoholic drink which may be several ounces. The cap 14 will be closed in the position shown at this time. The operator will then retain the bottle in this position and release the actuating member 20. This will close the cap 13 and open cap 14 and allow another drink to flow out through the spout 12. This will actuate the counter 21 to count the drink.

Since the bafile 15 in the counterbore shown has outwardly diverging wings 15' thereon, the liquor can flow out of the cap but an unauthorized person cannot enter the device with a tool to hold the cap 14 open. Also, the cap can be locked on the bottle by means of the arms 26 so that it cannot be removed to empty out a drink without being counted. When an empty bottle is broken to remove the device, it can be put on a new bottle.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims. I

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A dispenser comprising a ring like body member made of thin fiat material, a cap for attaching said body member to a bottle and having an inlet opening therein, a spout connected to said body member and having an outlet opening therethrough, a counterbore in said opening in said spout, a disk like member having two wings struck therefrom and extending radially outwardly and toward said outlet opening from said spout, a closure in said body member over said inlet opening and a closure over said outlet opening, a leaf spring attached at its intermediate part to said body member and having said inlet closure on one end and said outlet closure on the other end, a disk in said body member, said disk being pivotally supported on said body member to pivot about an axis spaced from its center and parallel to its central axis, an actuating member attached to said disk at one end and extending through said body member to the out side thereof for rotating said disk, two levers, one attached to said inlet closure and the other attached to said outlet closure whereby one said .closure is opened when said actuating member is pressed, a counter in said body mem ber visible from the outside thereof having means actuating it each time said actuating member is pressed, and means to prevent said levers from being actuated when said body member is in position with a bottle attached thereto in upright position.

2. The dispenser recited in claim 1 wherein said means to prevent actuation comprises a gravity actuated device provided on said dispenser for preventing said actuating member from being actuated when said dispenser is in an upright position.

3. The dispenser recited in claim 1 wherein an elongated threaded member is provided for insertion into said bottle, and a locking member is threadably received on said threaded member having said levers swingable toward said dispenser in generally parallel relation to said threaded member and swingable to perpendicular relation thereto into locking engagement with the inside surface of said bottle, said locking member having means thereon for allowing it to rotate to move it toward said dispenser only when said dispenser is on a bottle whereby said locking member will lock said dispenser to a bottle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,605,931 Scannell et a1. Aug. 5; 1952 2,647,660 Arena Aug. 4, 1953 2,721,005 Lesnick Oct. 18, 1955 

1. A DISPENSER COMPRISING A RING LIKE BODY MEMBER MADE OF THIN FLAT MATERIAL, A CAP FOR ATTACHING SAID BODY MEMBER TO A BOTTLE AND HAVING AN INLET OPENING THEREIN, A SPOUT CONNECTED TO SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING THERETHROUGH, A COUNTERBORE IN SAID OPENING IN SAID SPOUT, A DISK LIKE MEMBER HAVING TWO WINGS STRUCK THEREFROM AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND TOWARD SAID OUTLET OPENING FROM SAID SPOUT, A CLOSURE IN SAID BODY MEMBER OVER SAID INLET OPENING AND A CLOSURE OVER SAID OUTLET OPENING, A LEAF SPRING ATTACHED AT ITS INTERMEDIATE PART TO SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING SAID INLET CLOSURE ON ONE END AND SAID OUTLET HAVING SAID OTHER END, A DISK IN SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID DISK BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID BODY MEMBER TO PIVOT ABOUT AN AXIS SPACED FROM ITS CENTER AND PARALLEL TO ITS CENTRAL AXIS, AN ACTUATING MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID DISK AT ONE END AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY MEMBER TO THE OUTSIDE THEREOF OF ROTATING SAID DISK, TWO LEVERS, ONE ATTACHED TO SAID INLET CLOSURE AND THE OTHER ATTACHED TO SAID OUTLET CLOSURE WHEREBY ONE OF SAID CLOSURE IS OPENED WHEN SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IS PRESSED, A COUNTER IN SAID BODY MEMBER VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE THEREOF HAVING MEANS ACTUATING IT EACH TIME SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IS PRESSED, AND MEANS TO PREVENT SAID LEVERS FROM BEING ACTUATED WHEN SAID BODY MEMBER IS POSITION WITH A BOTTLE ATTACHED THERETO IN UPRIGHT POSITION. 